While I Fall
by thedauntlesscookies
Summary: Annabeth Chase is the junior Vice President at Jupiter Academy. She's never thought much about the rivalry between her school and Half-Blood High until one fateful meeting with Percy Jackson, the crowned jewel of Half-Blood High. Parallel story to 'Catch Me'
1. Chapter 1

**So this is a version of 'Catch Me' that takes place from Annabeth's point of view. Not all the scenes will be the same, most will be different so the series of events that happen over the course of the stories will make a little more sense. **

* * *

><p>"So does this mean we'll have to do our school's punishments or what?"<p>

I turned around from the buffet and looked at my new step-brother. Leo had taken off his blazer and vest, so he only wore his collared shirt and grey tie. His face was beaded with sweat from the hot July evening, and his curly hair was slightly damp at the roots.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But I'm sure it'll be fine."

Leo shrugged before helping himself to a plate. I felt uneasy as he followed me down the line. I had known Leo for about a year, but we weren't exactly close like normal siblings. He was the same age as me, only a couple of months younger, and we both attended schools that were rivals with each other.

"I could make it easy and just move to Jupiter Academy," he suggested.

I almost tripped in line at the suggestion, and I glanced back at him.

"Jase and Frank would be all over you," I said. "They don't trust any Spartans."

Leo shrugged before picking out some pork loin.

"Your mother has quite expensive taste in food," he said, gesturing to all the foods and desserts on the tables.

"I guess you should get used to it," I snapped.

I guess Leo had gotten my hint that I didn't appreciate him poking fun at my mother's wealth because he quickly changed topics.

"I say we rebel against this whole rule thing," he said. "I'll introduce you to my friends and you introduce me to yours."

"Sure, if only my friends weren't as school spirited as yours."

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?"

"Definitely, no."

Leo sighed and we made our way back to the head table, where Heratio and my mom were sitting in the middle. I felt my mother's eyes on me as we approached, and I knew she would be asking me later what Leo and I had talked about.

She knew how uneasy I was with her marrying Heratio. The two had known each other for a little over a year before their marriage, and it unnerved me how quickly my mother seemed to have forgotten about my father.

Even if he had been dead for five years.

I bit my lower lip, thinking about my dad. He was really the main reason why we held any wealth to our name. He worked hard his whole entire life, only to be brought down by a stupid failed experiment.

"Are you having fun?" My mother whispered in my ear.

I nodded numbly and avoided eye contact. I tried to focus on Leo giving his Best Man's speech, but I found it hard to try and concentrate on what he was saying. He kept tossing the mic between his hands, shoving the other in his pocket, walking around the floor, it was all very distracting.

"And then one more thing I get to gain from this marriage—" Leo paused slightly, giving me a sideways glance "—is a super-hot step-sister. I mean, c'mon! Look at her! She's gorgeous! And now I get to play the over-protective brother to whatever guy tries his luck! So, thank you, Ethana and Heratio, for showing me the perks of a remarriage."

The crowed clapped and laughed politely as Leo bowed and took his seat next to his father. As he winked at me, I didn't know whose face was redder: me or my mother's.

"Your turn, Annabeth," my mother hissed.

I stood quickly, almost knocking over the table in the process, and I took the mic from the stand.

"Thank you, Leo, for telling me how hot I am," I said. "And I look forward to denying any girl that tries to steal your heart."

Leo winked at me before slouching in his chair and picking out bits of food from his mouth with his fork.

I began my speech, which I had rehearsed many times to my mother before this day. I talked about the tough time when I had lost my father, and how Heratio had come in like some beacon of light. As I spoke the words, I noticed they had a bitter feeling as soon as they left my mouth.

I wasn't happy that my mother was remarrying.

I wasn't happy that all the pictures of my father had been taken down when Heratio and Leo moved in.

I wasn't happy that I had snuck up to the attic one night while everyone slept and I stole my favorite pictures of my father to hang in my dorm back at Jupiter Academy and in a small chest under my bed.

As soon as I finished my speech, a there was a polite round of applause with some shed tears. I didn't think I had put enough emotion in my speech to bring someone to tears, but I guess some people had believed me.

* * *

><p>That night, Leo and I stood on the doorstep of the house, waving goodbye to the taxi that would take our parents to JFK to go to Hawaii.<p>

"Nice speech tonight," Leo said. "It really touched my heart."

I raised my eyebrows at him and he nodded solemnly.

"Look, Princess, I'm about as happy about this marriage as you," Leo said. "My mom died less than three years ago and here we are, joint family."

"You seemed fine with it."

"Because I, unlike you, can pretend with my emotions."

"Are you saying I'm emotional?"

"I'm saying you're an easy book to read."

I rolled my eyes at him and entered the house. Leo locked the door behind him and leaned against it.

"We've got a month to ourselves before the come back," he said. "Let's just try to get along, alright?"

I nodded slowly, and picked up the old and beaten copy of _The Old Man and the Sea_. It had belonged to my father, and we used to read it together every night before I would go to sleep and he would go into his night shift. His neat and tiny handwriting was still scribbled in the margins, small notes telling me what was happening and sometimes the random 'I love you' written.

The day before Heratio and Leo moved in, my mom threw out all of my dad's old stuff. His old backpack, his wrist watches, everything.

That was when my midnight dumpster diving began.

The first thing I had stolen was the old grey Jansport backpack, because in the inside he had written his name in silver sharpie and when I first rescued it, it still smelled like him. The next thing I recovered was the leather wrist watch. It had been a gift from my grandfather to him, and I wasn't going to let that go. Then I saved the books we used to read, no matter how stupid. _The Crucible_, _Odyssey, The Old Man and the Sea_, and _Fahrenheit 451_ were now all residing on my bedside cabinet, each with a handwritten note from my father on some analysis from a line or a chapter summary.

When my mother had walked into my room the next morning and saw the old items laying on my desk, she had turned and walked right back out of the room, and refused to talk to me until the arrival of Heratio and Leo.


	2. Chapter 2

The month with Leo hadn't been as terrible as I had predicted.

The first week we kept to ourselves, occasionally running into each other on the stairs or in the kitchen. However, when we discovered our shared love of enchiladas and _Doctor Who_, we started to talk a little, and everything seemed to fall into place.

"So I have these really cool friends at Half-Blood High," Leo said one day as we stood in the Subway that I worked at. "And I'd really like for you to meet them sometime."

I looked over at him from the glass I was cleaning before shaking my head.

"They'll hate me on instinct."

"I mean, Percy might. He's like, really into this school pride and shit," Leo said. "But Grover's a little more chilled out."

I cocked an eyebrow at him before glancing at the clock.

Five minutes until I was off work and would head to the pizzeria with Leo to just relax until Jase and some other Romans met me. I smiled to myself, thinking of Jase. There was absolutely nothing going on between us, but Jase just had this adorable little boy look to him.

If, so to say, that little boy weighed 210 pounds of pure muscle.

"Excited for pizza?"

Leo's voice broke my concentration, and I glanced over at him.

"I suppose so," I said. "More excited to see my friends though."  
>Leo rolled his eyes and drummed his fingers on the glass case. I tried not to yell at him, since I had just cleaned that, but I remained silent.<p>

"Hey, it's time to—"

Leo was cut off abruptly when his phone rang. He pulled it out, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"It's Percy!" He said. "Speak of the devil!"

He answered it quickly, and I tried to drown out his conversation when suddenly Leo's face was right in front of mine.

"Psst, Annabeth," he said, covering the mic with his hand. "Perce wants to go out for pizza. Can I tell him to meet us at Sal's?"

"If you want."

"Sure! Where at?" Leo asked.

He mouthed me a 'thank you,' and I waved my hand dismissively. I glanced back up at the clock before going into the backroom to clock out. I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. I looked at myself in the mirror for a hot second to make sure my hair looked presentable before walking out and following Leo to the door.

"You're going to love Percy, Annabeth," he said. "Or possibly hate him, I haven't quite decided yet."

* * *

><p>Right as we got a booth, Jase texted me that they had moved the time of arrival up, so I would just be at Sal's for fifteen minutes instead of an hour. Leo's face fell immediately when I told him, and I felt a stab of guilt.<p>

"Alright, well, I hope you have fun," he said.

"Thanks," I said. "Have fun with Percy."

Leo nodded once before opening a menu and looking at the items. He tapped his fingers nervously on the table and would glance over at the doorway every so often.

"Nervous?" I asked, cracking a smile.

Leo looked up at me before shrugging.

"I just haven't seen Percy in a while," he admitted. "I hope he hasn't changed."

I bit my lower lip and played with the salt shaker at the table. The door opened, and surprisingly, Leo didn't glance over.

I peeked over his shoulder to see two boys standing in the open door. The one had dark hair and green eyes. He donned an orange shirt and worn-out jeans. He was more slender than Jase, but for some reason, he seemed so much more attractive. The boy next to him looked as if he belonged at Iliad Prep. His hair was gelled and his clothes were rather high end, even for my standards.

The two boys glanced over at me, and I quickly looked at Leo and asked him a couple of dumb questions.

"Hey, Leo, who's your friend?"

The dark haired boy was at our table, and I looked up at him. He was taller than he had seemed at the door, and was definitely more built than I had originally thought. He wore that carefree but cocky grin that many boys at my school had, and I noticed he was staring at me.

"Oh, hey guys," Leo said. "Annabeth, this is Percy and Grover. Guys, this is Annabeth."

"Nice to meet you," I said, extending my hand out.

The gelled haired guy, Grover, shook my hand eagerly, but Percy studied me for a second before leaning down.

"Mind scooting in?"

I saw Leo roll his eyes as I scooted close to the wall. I noticed Percy drape his arm behind the booth seat so he could scoot a little closer to me. I felt the back of my neck get a little warm, and I closed my eyes for a second to regain my composure.

"There are no vegetarian pizzas at this place!"

Percy rolled his eyes at Grover before flipping open a menu with his right hand and leaning a little closer to me.

"Know what you're getting?" He asked.

His flirting techniques were so bad I almost began to laugh. He had dropped his voice an octave, and the back of his ears had begun to turn a little red.

"Actually, I'm not eating here, I'm meeting up with some of my school friends in a couple of minutes," I said, happy for the excuse.

"Oh really? Where do you go to school?"

At that precise moment (thank God), the door opened and Jase, Reyna, and some of my other Jupiter Academy friends walked in. Jase looked as if he had just finished a workout. His skin gleamed with a layer of sweat, and he was wearing the gym uniform.

"Hey, Annabeth!" Jase said.

I sucked in my breath when I saw Jase, and I immediately stood.

"You know him?" Percy asked as he scooted out of the booth.

I scooted out too and hugged Jase for a hot second before grabbing my backpack.

I slung it around my shoulder and looked at Percy.

"Jase? Yeah, he and I go way back," I said.

I turned to follow Jase and the rest of the gang out when I realized I hadn't answered Percy's question.

"By the way, I go to Jupiter Academy."

When I left Sal's, I glanced back through the window and saw Percy still staring at me, only this time there was surprise and disbelief in his face. I smirked to myself before running to catch up with Reyna.


	3. Chapter 3

Reyna and I sat on the grass in Sheep Meadow in Central Park while the guys tossed around a Frisbee.

Usually we participated in the games with the guys, but we hadn't seen each other since school let out, and we just needed to have a good girl chat.

"So how was the wedding?" Reyna asked. "Your text said almost nothing."  
>I shrugged and ripped some grass out of the ground.<p>

"I mean, it was nice," I said. "I _like_ Leo and Heratio, it's just that—"

"Your mother," Reyna finished.

I nodded slowly and twisted a small buttercup flower in my fingers. I looked over at Jase, who was currently arguing with Dakota and Frank on whether or not he had just made the most epic catch ever.

"She's completely lost her mind," I said. "It's like my father never even existed."

Reyna's lips curled into a smile.

"At least you're proof he was real," she said.

I laughed at her before nodding.

"True," I said. "She can't throw me away in a dumpster."

Reyna opened her mouth to say something when Jase jogged over to us.

"I know you two have a lot to catch up on, but we're going to play Frisbee football now, and you two make even teams," he said.

I stood and brushed the grass off of me and offered a hand out to Reyna, who grasped it firmly and stood to her own feet.

"We'll play," I said. "As long as I'm opposing the President."

"Anything for the V.P," Jase said.

I laughed before grabbing the Frisbee out of his hands. I jogged towards my team and immediately gave out positions.

"We'll totally take them down," Frank said, looking over at Jase and Reyna.

They stood together, closer to each other than the rest of the team. They were talking about lord knows what, probably just battle strategies, but I knew Reyna was internally dying. Ever since freshman year, she and I had had the biggest crush on Jason Grace. Over time, my crush had developed into one of just mere admiration, whereas hers became full on infatuation.

"We'll crush them," I said.

The other team let out a quick cheer and we replied with a hearty yell before we faced each other in a line.

"Good luck, Chase—" I flinched at the use of my last name "—you're going to need it."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Grace," I retorted. "There could be some dead ones."

Jase flashed me his cocky grin before Hazel blew the whistle, and the game commenced.

* * *

><p>After my team had suffered a brutal defeat, Reyna and I began to walk back to my house, where she would help me pack for school.<p>

"I wanted to ask you about those boys you were sitting with," Reyna said. "Were they Spartans?"

I fumbled with my key for a second before jamming it into the keyhole.

"Yeah, they were," I said. "But I didn't reveal any secrets."

Reyna nodded and then followed me into the threshold of the house.

Leo had obviously inhabited the living room in the couple of hours I had been gone. Open chip bags laid strewn across the floor, and a bunch of Xbox games were scattered on the coffee table.

"Leo?" I yelled. "Mind cleaning up?"

Leo yelled something that was indistinguishable from his room and I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry about the mess," I said. "My room should be clean."

Reyna laughed it off and we scaled the stairs together. Once we were in the safety of my room, Reyna sat on my desk chair while I lugged out my suitcase.

"The one kid was sort of cute," she said.

"Hm?"

"The one sitting beside you."  
>I felt the back of my neck become warm, and I tried to steady my voice.<p>

"His name was Percy," I said. "I guess he's that Percy Jackson kid Jase hates."

There was no response from Reyna, just the sound of her typing away at my computer. There was approximately five seconds of dead silence before she said.

"Perseus 'Percy' Jackson, age 17. Parents: S. Jackson and P. Saydon. Birthday: August 18, 1993. Allergies: glutton. Blood type: AB positive."

"What are you reading?" I asked, walking over and looking over her shoulder.

"I hacked into Half-Blood High's website," she said, scrolling through Percy's form. "He's something."  
>"Definitely," I said as we looked at his write-ups.<p>

"Stalking Percy now, are we?"

Reyna and I turned to see Leo standing in the door frame. He wore a white muscle shirt and cargo shorts. His curly hair was held back with an American flag bandana.

"He's definitely one of a kind," Leo said. "Plans a majority of our pranks. The kid is a genius. That aquarium we made out of your trophy case? Purely him."

Leo's eyes fell on the computer screen and he arched an eyebrow.

"How did you hack into the school?" He asked, a hint of awe in his voice. "I've been trying for years."

Reyna shrugged before closing the tab.

"It was pretty simple," she said.

I saw something flash in Leo's eyes for a hot second before he nodded.

"Well, I'm going out for the night to a paintball battle with Perce and some others," he said. "You can join us, if you'd like."  
>I got the slightest feeling that he was inviting Reyna and not me, which made me feel slightly angry.<p>

"Thanks, but we've got plans," I said.

Leo nodded before turning and walking down the stairs.

"He's pretty cute," Reyna said.

"Leo? You think so?"

"Definitely. In a little-boy way. Not like, _hot_," she said.

I nodded in agreement before placing my school uniform in the suitcase with some casual clothing.

"So what did you think of Percy?" Reyna asked.

"Seemed pretty arrogant to be honest."  
>"That's unfortunate."<br>I glanced over at her and saw her gazing at the photos I had plastered on my closet door. Many consisted of me and her, some had Jase and my other friends in it.

"How was being on Jase's team?" I asked.

"That reminds me, he's got a girlfriend now," Reyna said.

I looked up sharply and narrowed my eyebrows.

"Are you joking?"

"No, he showed me a picture of her. She's got some Native American descent in her," Reyna said. "Very pretty."

"How'd they meet?"

"Jason said that they went on a mission's trip together."  
>I frowned at Reyna and felt my heart break for her. Everyone at school knew how much Reyna liked Jason, except for Jason. And now it seemed as if he would never know.<p>

"I'm sure you're much more beautiful," I said.

"Oh no, this girl was stunning," Reyna said. "She's skinny, has a good bone structure, and she looks like those pictures of models after they've been edited."  
>"You do too," I said on instinct.<p>

Reyna waved her hand dismissively and picked up _The Crucible. _

"I suppose I shouldn't go all Abigail Williams on this, should I?" She asked.

I laughed and shook my head.

"Besides, Dakota asked me out on a date after the game tonight, so tomorrow night at this time I will be watching _How to Train Your Dragon_." Reyna rolled her eyes and I laughed.

"Seems like a good movie," I said.

"Yeah, for like, middle school dates," Reyna said.

I shrugged before closing my suitcase shut.

"Well, be sure to text me about it. I want to know how exactly I should train my dragon," I said.

Reyna threw a pillow at me and crossed her arms.

"Oh screw you, Annabeth," she said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Fast forward this chapter from the last about a month (to prevent any confusion of the sequential order of events)**

* * *

><p>"But why would we want to host a dance with Spartans?"<p>

I glanced over at Reyna, who was drawing circles on her notepad while Octavian strode back and forth in front of us.

"Why not?" I asked.

Octavian stopped in his tracks and shot his steely blue eyes at me. If I didn't know how insane Octavian really was, I would have just laughed.

"Because you know that they'll just prank us," he said. "You two, of all people, should be supporting against this."

"It's just one dance," Reyna said. "And it will be at the end of the year, so there are no major sporting events or anything going on."  
>Octavian laughed and Frank flinched beside me. He glanced over at me and rolled his eyes before playing with the secretary badge that was resting on the collar of his purple blazer.<p>

"I don't know why we're getting so upset about this now," I said, standing. "It's only the beginning of September, we've got months to think about this."

Octavian opened his mouth to protest when Reyna stood too and banged her gavel, signaling the end of the discussion.

"We'll rethink this in January, when the time is closer," she said. "Meanwhile, we must dismiss Annabeth so she can get to work on time."  
>I glanced up at the clock before I collected my things and put them in my backpack.<p>

"Totally forgot about my shift," I said, slinging my bag around my shoulder.

Reyna handed me a piece of paper and I signed where the V.P line was before hurrying out of the office.

As I jogged to my dorm room, Jase passed me and turned quickly, matching his stride length with mine.

"I was just on my way with the requests from the basketball team," he said.

I slowed my speed before turning and giving him an incredulous look.

"Didn't you just get busted for steroid use?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I promise it's not what it seemed like," he said.

"Anyways, basketball doesn't even start for two more months, so you're way ahead of schedule."

"Sure, but better to be planned than never, right?"

I shrugged before stopping at my door and unlocking it. Jase followed me in, keeping the door wide open in case any teachers passed by.

"What if we had some competition fundraiser with the Spartans?" He suggested.

"What do you mean?"

I began to shed out of my Jupiter Academy uniform, and Jase politely sat on my bed and looked the other way as I slipped into my Subway clothes. I hadn't washed them since my last shift, so they still smelled like rotting turkey and overdue bread.

"Like a shirtless car wash," he said. "Whoever wins more money hosts the big game."

I rolled my eyes before pulling on the Subway visor.

"That won't work," I said. "Since it'll be the middle of winter by the time basketball does come around. And the schedule is based on what the other sports are doing. Iliad Prep uses the same gym as the Spartans."

I turned back to Jase, who was rolling his eyes.

"Trojans think they can just do whatever they want," he said.

I nodded before emptying my water bottle and filling it with fresh water from the sink.

"Is that all you needed to talk about? I've got a shift in a half hour that I need to get to," I said. "If you have any other ideas, find Reyna or Frank, or even Gwen. They'll be leaving the meeting soon."

Jase nodded once before turning to leave. As I slung my backpack around my shoulder, he turned and looked back at me, his eyes softened when he saw a picture of me and Reyna.

"She liked me, didn't she?" He asked softly.

"Who?"

"Reyna. When I told her I had a girlfriend, something inside her just seemed to die."

I nodded slowly and closed the door, locking it before shoving the key deep in my pocket.

"She did," I said. "But she's gone on a couple of dates with Dakota, so I'll assume she's over it."

Jase nodded slowly before walking back towards the office.

"Have fun at work, Chase. Make some good subs for me."

* * *

><p>The lunch rush had just left, and I was just beginning to start on my trigonometry homework when the door opened. I closed my eyes and bit my lip, ready to put on that cheerful smile when a voice said.<p>

"Hey, I didn't know that there was a Subway here."

I looked up from the worksheet to see none other than Percy Jackson. My heart picked up speed, as if I had just drank three large Starbucks coffees. He stood there, his hand resting on the door just in case he needed a quick escape. His hair was tousled, as if he had just gotten out of bed. He donned an orange Half-Blood High shirt and jeans. It was such a simple outfit, but he wore it like he was a model or something.

I felt my tongue get slightly twisted inside of my mouth as I tried to think of what to say. "Hey, you're Leo's friend, right?" No, it'd be too weird. Or, "Your school hates my school, so we shouldn't talk to each other." That one sounded worse than the other. I opened my mouth and the first words that came to mind were.

"Yeah, there's about a Subway on every block of this city, it is New York."  
>I immediately regretted my word choice, but only for a few seconds. Percy's face immediately broke into a wide grin, and he looked really good smiling. I returned to my worksheet, trying to distract myself.<p>

I made some small talk with him, interested in the fact how intent he was on just staying in the store and keeping me company. When he finally got up to leave, I felt a small falling sensation in my stomach.

"Finally leaving now, are you?" I asked, trying to control the pitch of my voice.

"Yeah, but don't think that you've rid of me completely."

My heart hammered in my chest, and I tried to keep my voice level as I said.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

A small smile escaped the muscles fighting against it, and he smirked at me before waving in a very Disney Princess way. As soon as he disappeared into the crowd of New Yorkers, I whipped out my phone and texted Reyna, adrenaline still coursing through my veins from the conversation I had just held with Perseus Jackson.


	5. Chapter 5

"What is Odysseus's goal after the Trojan War?"

I looked up from the physics book I was reading and frowned.

"Returning to Ithaca," I said.

Reyna nodded slightly before scribbling it on her paper.

"Thanks for helping me," Reyna said.

"Of course," I said.

Reyna opened her mouth to say something, but then she glanced over at Jase, Frank, and Hazel and apparently thought better because she closed her mouth.

"So how did the rest of the meeting go last Saturday? I never got around to asking you," I said.

"Awful," Reyna said. "As soon as you left, Octavian been to try and persuade everyone to impeach you. Jason showed up in the nick of time to shut him up."

I rolled my eyes before closing my book.

"It's not like the senate would vote Octavian in if any of us were impeached," I said.

"Very true," Reyna said.

She shut her lit notes and stretched back.

"I have to go to a meeting with Lupa now," I sand glancing at my watch.

"Have fun, I'll see you later?" Reyna said.

"Sure, come to my dorm around five." I said.

Reyna nodded and I slung my backpack around my shoulder. I opened the large doors and took three steps out when I slipped and fell, landing on my ankle in an awkward angle.

"Shit!" I yelled as a searing hot pain shot up my leg.

I held up my hands to seem them coated in a thick layer of olive oil.

"Annabeth, are you okay?"

I glanced up to see Jase standing above me, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Yeah, I just slipped," I said.

I attempted to stand, but the pressure on my ankle was unbearable. I sank back on my butt and glared at the stupid ankle.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Slipped on some oil," I said.

He glanced at the ground and frowned.

"That wasn't here before," he said. "When Hazel and I came up, the floor was perfectly clean."

I cursed loudly again and took out my cell phone.

"Shit, Jase, my phone's dead. Does anyone have their phone on them?" I asked.

"No, Varus caught us texting each other today and took them for the week. What's up?"

"I have a meeting with Lupa, and if I don't tell her I'll be late…" My voice trailed off as the pieces slowly came together. "Where the hell is Octavian?"

"What's he got to do with this?"

"Everything!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air. "If I'm late for my meeting with Lupa, then I'll be on probation, and if I have any discipline referrals, I'm off the council."

Realization dawned in Jase's eyes, and he quickly straightened his posture.

"Then we'll have to hold a reelection, and if Octavian threatens people–"

"He'll be voted in," I finished.

Jase's eyes filled with fury, and he disappeared back into Reyna's office. After a couple of seconds, Reyna and Frank were by my sides. They ordered me to drape my arms around their shoulders, and Jase held up my back while Hazel steadied my legs.

"What the hell–"

"You're not going to be late," Jase said. "Not if we can help it."

We charged down the corridors, getting strange looks from passing students. I attempted to make myself weigh less, but when that seemed to only slow them down, I relaxed.

"We'll get the nurse for you," Jase said when we arrived at Lupa's doors.

Hazel let go of my feet and opened the doors. Reyna gasped my shoulders tightly and sat me in the vacant seat. Thankfully, Lupa had yet to arrive. Once I was nestled safely in the chair, Reyna patted my shoulder and left the office.

"You're early."

I glanced up at the balcony above me to see Lupa staring down at me, an open book in her hand.

"There was an accident," I said. "And I hurt my ankle, so I wanted to leave early to ensure that I have plenty of time."

Lupa glared her yellow eyes at me, and I tensed every muscle in my body to prevent myself from recoiling.

"I suppose we can start the meeting now," she said.

She closed her book and the sound echoed throughout the office. I waited patiently as she walked down the spiral stair case and into her seat. She picked up her pen and a notepad and glanced over her glasses at me.

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

><p>I couldn't remember the last time I had felt as nervous and scared as I did sitting in Lupa's office. She had asked me a series of questions, and once the interview was over, she gave me a disapproving look when Jase and Reyna walked in with a wheelchair and the nurse.<p>

"It's just sprained," the nurse said, inspecting my ankle. "Luckily, you didn't fracture anything. Wear this brace to help keep it steady, and for two days I want it elevated and iced to help with swelling."

She slipped on a nude colored brace over my ankle and I cringed at the pressure. Reyna shot me a worried look but I shrugged it off.

"If it bothers you some more, come and see me," the nurse said.

I thanked her and hobbled after Reyna, who had taken my backpack back to my dorm.

"So Jase and Frank cornered Octavian, and he claimed to not know anything the oil," Reyna said as we reached my room. "But they never mentioned anything about the oil, so Octavian was caught. They got it on video and are going to show Lupa tonight after dinner."

I nodded in relief and then I plopped on my bed.

"Elevated," Reyna commanded.

I threw her a pillow and she caught it with ease. She shoved it under my foot and then went to grab a bag of ice. When she returned, she wrapped in it a towel and placed it gently on my ankle.

"How did the meeting go?" Reyna asked.

"Good," I said. "It was terrifying."

Reyna nodded solemnly and opened her mouth to say something when a knocking came from my window. We both looked over and jumped slightly when we saw Leo crouching on the fire escape.

"Let him in," I said, hoisting myself up.

Reyna opened the window, and Leo slid into the room. He glanced around for a second, obviously impressed, before looking at my ankle.

"What did you do?" He asked.

"Slipped on some oil. No big deal."  
>He raised his eyebrows in question, but I shook my head slightly and he dug into his messenger bag.<p>

"So Perce was telling me about your excursion last Saturday," he said.

"Oh, yeah," I said, sinking back into my pillow.

"You didn't agree to tutor him, but knowing you, you wouldn't be able to refuse after this."

The sound of a paper being flattened filled the room, and next thing I knew Leo had placed something on my stomach.

I picked it up and raised an eyebrow at it.

'"Percy Jackson's Guide to Girls,'" I read.

I glanced over at Leo, and he shrugged. "It got a one out of ten, so I guess it was pretty bad."  
>My eyes looked a little lower at the red writing in the middle.<p>

"Wow, he needs help," I said.

Leo nodded vigorously and I sighed.

"I guess I'll help him," I said.

"Don't get caught," Reyna said.

"I know, it'll be disastrous," I said.

Reyna nodded before turning to Leo.

"Is that all?" She asked.

Leo nodded and gave me an awkward hug.

"Text me before you come," he said. "I'll find you."

I waved bye to him as he climbed back out the fire escape and Reyna closed the window.

"Are you really going to tutor him?" She asked.

"I might as well," I said. "There are worse people to tutor."


	6. Chapter 6

"This is a bad idea."

I stood with Reyna outside of the grey Half-Blood High building.

I wore a grey Half-Blood High sweatshirt and my backpack was slung over one shoulder. I wasn't sure what the Spartans wore in the spare time, but I was sure it wouldn't be their school uniforms. I had called Leo in the taxi cab, and I was supposed to meet him by the library in five minutes. Reyna came along just in case my disguise was unmasked and I needed back up.

"It'll be fine," I said, reassuring myself and her.

Reyna shook her head but didn't stop me from pulling open the front doors.

"See you soon," I said.

* * *

><p>Leo was talking to a crowd of girls when I found him.<p>

I frowned slightly, since he had never mentioned being such a stud at school. I mean, of course Leo was definitely cute, but he wasn't on like, Jase's level, or even Percy's.

I inched closer to listen in, since Leo hadn't seen me yet.

"—but seriously, Leo," a very pretty Asian girl said, "if he keeps flirting and leading us all on, he'll be a dead man."  
>Leo held up his hands in surrender and glanced over at me. Relief flooded his face, and he weaved his way towards me.<p>

"Look girls, I'm sorry Percy has been too preoccupied to ask any of you on a date," he said. "Although, Drew, you'll never have a chance, so stop trying."

The Asian girl began to stutter in protest, but Leo and I were already making our way down the hallway before she could say anything horrible.

"So, Percy is quite a big ladies' man around here?" I asked, trying to control my voice.

Leo glanced over at me and nodded.

"Yeah, girls are always throwing themselves at him," he said. "Percy finds it quite annoying. He obviously isn't into them at all, no matter how hard he tries. We all know who he really—I mean, nothing."

I glanced over at him and he stopped in a hallway. I heard the sound of muffled talking coming from the double doors on my left and the sound of basketballs hitting the floor and rims.

"He's in there," Leo said. He glanced down at my ankle and frowned. "Will you tell me what really happened with your ankle then?"

"Yeah, later," I said, glancing in through the window.

Percy and that Grover kid stood at the foul line. Percy's back was towards me, and Grover was shooting a couple of foul shots. I placed my hand on the door and took a deep breath.

"You can do this," Leo said.

"Thanks," I said. "You're more supportive than Reyna."

Leo's eyes lit up and he glanced longingly outside.

"Is she here?"

"Reyna? Yeah, she's outside waiting by the main entrance."  
>"I'll see you around then, alright?"<p>

Without waiting for a response, Leo turned and bustled off towards the main entrance. I glanced back inside the gym before quietly tugging the door open.

"—cruel, but not that cruel."

"I guess."

I wondered vaguely what their conversation had been about, but then Grover's eyes met mine.

"Hey, Jackson."

Percy turned to me, and I limped towards him. I furrowed my eyebrows in pain each time I landed on my bad ankle. The ice had helped with the swelling, but it still hurt like hell.

"Well if it isn't Miss Wise Girl," Percy said.

Grover and Percy gave each other a look and had a silent conversation before Grover dropped the ball he was holding in his hands. As he passed me, we exchanged a very civilized 'hello' and then he was gone.

I rolled my eyes before I slung my backpack around. I rummaged through it until I found Percy's essay. I grasped it triumphantly before glancing back up at Percy.

"Leo came by to visit me last night," I said. "And he brought this along with me. How the hell are you failing English?"

I smoothed out the paper and handed it over to Percy. He raised an eyebrow at it and frowned when he looked at the title.

"How did Leo get access to this?" He asked.

"Doesn't even matter," I said, though I myself was beginning to wonder. "That's a one out of ten right there, and unless you're bad at math too, you should know that it's a ten percent."

Percy rolled his eyes and crumpled up the paper. He lined up a shot and threw it to the basket. I held back a laugh when the paper fell at least four feet from the intended goal.

"I know how to do all this crap, it's just not easy to put down on paper," Percy said. He glanced over at me and read the words on my sweatshirt. "But the important question is how did you get a Half-Blood Spartans sweatshirt?"

I glanced down at it before shrugging.

"It's a decoy I got," I said, trying not to think of where I had gotten the decoy from. "I might find the pranks immature, but that doesn't mean I won't help my school. Besides, you've got so many kids here you probably won't even notice another."

"Possibly. Unless that other person reeks of prep school and money," Percy said.

"Isn't this a boarding school, Jackson?" I asked. I really hated when people would treat me differently because they found out I attended a private prep school. It made me feel as if I had just gotten everything handed to me on a silver platter, which was not the case at all.

"Wiser than I thought." Percy smirked, and I have to admit he looked very cute when he did.

"So that means you must pay some sort of tuition if you live here," I said.

Percy rolled his eyes and picked up a ball at his feet. He dribbled the ball a little before lining up a shot and shooting it. I raised an eyebrow when it bounced off the rim and rolled back to his feet.

"Wow, you know, I don't know why Jase would even bother with steroids. You're our biggest competition, and if the star can't even make a foul shot…" I trailed off, letting Percy boil up some anger.

"Hey, shut up, alright? I've got a lot on my mind. If you haven't noticed, my grades aren't exactly up to par," he said.

"Exactly, which brings me back to why I'm even here." I pulled out a slip of paper and scribbled something on it. "If you ever need help, call me, alright? I'd never help a Spartan otherwise, but you're Leo's friend, and since Leo and I are related somehow now, I guess I could make an exception for you."

I handed it out to him and it took all of my patience to not shove it in his hand when he reached out to grab it cautiously.

"Just don't call me on weekdays before nineteen hundred, and Saturdays' I'm at the Subway and won't get off until eighteen hundred, so other than that, call me," I said.

I turned without farther word and began to strut of the gym, trying desperately to ignore the searing hot pain that was in my leg.

"Hey, Annabeth!"

I stopped walking and turned to face him, trying to put on my best 'I-desperately-hate-you' look.

"What's with the limp?" He asked, pointing to my foot.

I felt my face get flushed for a second. No one other than my core group of friends had really even cared that I was limping, and Octavian, that son of a bitch, had just smirked at me when I limped into the dining hall today.

"None of your damn business!"

Maybe my response was unnecessary, but I had never held a legitimate conversation with Percy before. The time we talked at Subway seemed like it was eons ago, not just a week. But even then, I had learned nothing from him other than the fact he wasn't the most intelligent human being.

I turned and limped the remainder of the way out of the gym. I silently thanked God that there were doors to the streets of New York right there, because I would not have been able to walk through the halls of Half-Blood High with the student body and not be caught.

I took out my phone and scrolled to Reyna's contact name.

"Annabeth? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, is Leo with you?"

"Yeah, please help me."

I heard Leo say something in the background, and I held in a laugh.

"Tell him to bring you to meet me by the gym's entrance. I'll get a cab."

There was no response from the other line, and I assumed Reyna was nodding in approval. I closed my phone and leaned against the side of the school. Immediately the pressure elevated off of my ankle, and relief flooded through my body.

"Ready to go?"

I opened my eyes to see Reyna standing in front of me, a concerned look on her eyes.

"Ready as I'll ever be."


	7. Chapter 7

Reyna led me back to my dorm room.

I laid down on my bed while she went to get me ice, and I groaned when I thought about Perseus Jackson. He had looked so…so _god damn good_ when I saw him.

"Elevated," Reyna ordered.

She shoved two pillows under my ankle and plopped the ice on top. I flinched at the coldness of it, and Reyna quickly apologized. She swung my desk chair around and sat on it.

"So how was the meeting?" Reyna asked. "You fell asleep in the cab."

I gnawed on the side of my cheek for a second before glancing over at her.

"It was quite civilized," I said, pulling off my sweatshirt. "He wanted to know where I got this sweatshirt from."  
>Reyna's eyes fell on it as I discarded it on the floor and she tilted her head slightly at it.<p>

"Yeah, where did you get it?" She asked.

"My dad used to attend Half-Blood High," I said. "It was before Jupiter Academy's existence."

Reyna's eyes softened at the mention of my father, and she glanced at the clock.

"Thirty minutes until the next senate meeting," she said.

I groaned and ran my hands through my hair. I had had several late nights studying and abusing my coffee rights in the dining hall, so a senate meeting right at the prime time for taking a nap wasn't exactly what I had in mind.

"Wake me up in ten," I said, nestling myself into my bed. "It'll take me a bit to get to the room."

Reyna nodded and swiveled back to face my desk. She turned on the computer, and the distant sound of her typing lulled me to sleep.

* * *

><p>"—and so now, we must welcome a new representative amongst us, Luke Castellan."<p>

I looked up from the circles I had been drawing to see a really, really attractive boy stand. He had medium length blond hair, and striking blue eyes. He looked like a tanner, more muscular, much more attractive version of Octavian, which sort of unsettled me a bit. He wore his Jupiter Academy uniform very casually, the top four buttons on his collared shirt weren't done, and his tie remained untied around his neck.

His eyes met mine, and I blushed profusely. They were bluer than I had actually thought, and he had a thin scar running from his left eye down to his jaw. It added an essence of danger to him, as if he was some strange bad boy.

"I'm Luke Castellan," he said. "I used to attend Hyperion High, but after a bit of a misunderstanding, I was expelled and sent here."  
>His voice was low and, I'll admit, pretty hot. I glanced over at Gwen, who was staring impressively at Luke. She caught my eye for a second and mouthed <em>wow <em>before turning her attention back to him.

"So what are you doing here?" Octavian asked.

"I decided to try out for this senate," he said. "I was president back at my old school, so I figured, why not?"

Luke walked up and handed Reyna his application papers, and as he passed me he winked and dropped a slip of paper.

I picked it up and glanced down at his sloppy handwriting. On it he had scribbled his phone number, and I glanced over at Gwen. She mimicked opening the paper and then gave me a questioning look.

I mouthed to her what it was, and she waggled her eyebrows. I shook my head before crumpling it up and tossing it into the waste basket next to me.

"Everything seems in order," Reyna said. "But we already have too many representatives for the seniors, so you will either need to find a sport to represent or have another step down."

Luke slouched coolly back in his chair before glancing over at the seniors sitting in a row next to him. They all glared at him, and I knew immediately none would step down.

"No one is offering their resignation," Reyna said slowly. "So you'll have to find a sport. I'm sorry, but it'll be the only way."

Luke shrugged and Reyna glanced at her scroll.

"That's all there is," she said. "This meeting is now done."

We all stood and Lacey Pebblestone grabbed the Jupiter Academy school flag and strode down the aisle with it. Reyna passed down the sign-in sheet. I had just finished signing it when a shadow covered my desk.

"So, I couldn't help but notice you threw away my note."

I glanced up to see Luke standing above me. He had slung a leather messenger bag on his shoulder and had messed up his hair.

"If a guy wants me to call him," I said, shoving my books into my backpack with unnecessary force, "then he should give it to me to my face and not on some lame ass note."

Luke's eyes widened and then he threw back his head and laughed.

"Alright," he said. "I'm Luke, and I was wondering if you could catch dinner or something with me sometime."

I shifted my weight off of my bad ankle and crossed my arms.

"Not now," I said. "I don't even _know _you."

"But sometime in the future?"

"I'll let you know."

Luke smiled at me before adjusting his messenger bag strap and strutting out of the room.

"You've got an admirer."

I turned to see Hazel and Reyna staring at me with an arched eyebrow.

"No, definitely no," I said. "I just met him."

"What about—"

"That's different." I cut across Reyna and gave her a steely look. "He's just my brother's friend."  
>Reyna shrugged and glanced at her watch.<p>

"It's lunch time," she said. "Care to go get something to eat?"

I made a face and she laughed.

"We can go into the city if you want," she said.

"Sal's?"

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

><p>We had just placed our orders when Leo walked in. He wore the outfit he had worn the night he first met Reyna, only this time his bandana was orange with the navy blue Spartan logo showing proudly. He smiled broadly, and turned back to talk at the girl who was on his arm.<p>

She was not someone I would have thought to hang with Leo Valdez.

Her hair was a light cinnamon color and fell to about her mid-back. Her eyes were a light green color and she had a splatter of freckles across her nose. Her skin was a little on the pale side, but it suited her look nicely.

"Isn't that your step-brother?" Hazel asked.

"Yeah, who's he with?" I asked.

I watched as the two of them occupied a booth in the corner and frowned when Leo held her hands across the table.

"Calypso," Reyna said. "She goes to Iliad Prep. Honors student and very athletic. Sort of the Trojan equivalent to Annabeth."

"Ha, ha," I said. "More like the equivalent to Reyna."  
>Reyna rolled her eyes and Hazel laughed.<p>

"Is Calypso her real name?" Hazel asked.

"No." Reyna shook her head. "Her real name is Caleigh, but her nick name is Calypso."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Calypso and I go to the same summer camp," Reyna said. "We were in the same summer camp this past year, and I met Leo at Toys-R-Us in Times Square over the summer with her. I didn't realize who he was at the time obviously."

"You're friends with someone from Iliad Prep," I said stupidly.

Reyna nodded and shrugged.

"I mean, it's not as big of a deal as being friends with a Spartan," she said. "At least the Trojans are only in our division for like…marching band competitions."

"To be honest, I thought that you and he were beginning to develop a romantic relationship," I said.

"I can see that," Reyna said slowly. "But I promise we talked only about the dates he was planning and stuff."  
>I raised my eyebrows and sipped on my Diet Coke.<p>

"I must say I didn't know he was the romancer," I said.

"He's quite an interesting romancer," Reyna said.

By the time our food had arrived a half hour later, Leo noticed us. He stood up from his table and Calypso followed him over.

"Hey, Annabeth," he said.

"Hello," I said.

Calypso's face was unreadable as I talked with Leo about a few small things. After a minute of awkward silence, I extended my hand out to her.

"My name is Annabeth, I'm Leo's step-sister," I said.

Calypso's facial expression immediately transformed from one of worry and jealousy to immense relief and pleasure.

"Nice to meet you," she said. "My name is Caleigh, but you can call me Calypso."

"Nice name," I said. "Is there a reason behind the nick name?"

Calypso shrugged and Leo slid his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Well, we should be going," Leo said, glancing back at their table. "See you guys around."

We exchanged a polite hello and Leo and Calypso returned to their booth. I grabbed a slice of pizza off of the tray and held it up in a toast.

"Here's to good friends and food," I said.  
>"Hear, hear!" Reyna and Hazel cheered.<p>

We laughed for a few seconds before biting into the pizza. As I chewed on my slice, I thought about a couple things. 1.) How much I loved my dorky step-brother and 2.) how I much I wished that Percy had been with him and finally 3.) I had just burned the roof of my mouth with the food I loved most.


	8. Chapter 8

The following day, I was laying on my bed with my ankle up while Reyna read aloud _Paper Towns_.

We had just gotten to the prom part when there was a loud knocking on the door.

"Come in," I yelled.

The door opened and I arched my head back to see Jase and Frank standing in the doorway. Jase held a large bag with the Chipotle logo on it and Frank held a tray full of drinks.

"Merry Annabeth-Has-A-Date-mas," Jase said cheerfully.

"What?"

"We saw Luke talking with you yesterday at the meeting," Frank said. "We asked him later and he said that you guys are going on a date."  
>I sat up fast and glared at them.<p>

"I most certainly do not have a date with Luke Castellan," I snapped.

Jase's smile slowly vanished and Frank gave me a confused look.

"No, he said he was taking you out next Sunday night," Frank said.

I shook my head and told them that no, I did not in fact have a scheduled date with Luke.

"But I'm flattered you thought I did." I frowned at the Chipotle bag. "What's with the food?"

"Well, we thought since it would be your first date, we should prepare you," Jase said. "But since you're not going on one, I suppose we'll have to celebrate you being a single lady!"  
>I laughed and Frank handed out the drinks. Jase tossed me a burrito that was the size of a small child and handed Reyna one of her own.<p>

"To good Mexican food!" Jase cheered.

We all raised our burritos in response and bit into them. I had never been a real fan of Mexican food before, but whatever Jase had put in this one was simply fantastic.

I was almost done with it when my phone began to ring. I glared at the caller ID, which was one that I was not aware of.

"Could be a telemarketer," Jase said.

I frowned, since the area code was a New York one.

"I should take this," I said, pressing the 'answer' button.

"Annabeth's phone."

"Yo, Wise Girl."

My eyes widened at the sound of Percy's voice, and I flashed Reyna a 'quick-help-me-it's-Percy-God-Damned-Jackson'.

"I need to take this," I said, covering the microphone.

I hobbled out of the room, closing the door so that there was only a crack.

"God, when I gave you my number, I didn't expect you to call three days later," I hissed.

"Well, you're in luck. I don't understand this calculus worksheet and I could really use some help."

I felt the back of my neck redden at the thought of meeting Percy to actually tutor him…in calculus, possibly one of my worst subjects I had ever taken. I bit my lower lip and glanced at some of the paintings on the wall. I could hear Percy breathing on the other end.

"Alright. Meet me at the Brooklyn Bridge at thirteen hundred," I said.

"Alright, what time is that at?" Percy asked, his voice sounded farther away than usual.

"In twenty minutes basically," I said, rolling my eyes. Honestly, military time was not that difficult to know. You just subtract twelve from the number on the left and BAM!

"Alright Wise Girl, I'll see you soon."

I was about to hang up when I realized it could be a trap. I hugged the phone closer to my ear and hissed.

"This better not be some stupid ambush!"

I hung up the phone and waddled back inside.

"Hey, guys, I have to leave," I said, grabbing my purple Jupiter Academy warm-up jacket.

"What? Why?" Jase asked.

I bit my lower lip and wondered vaguely if I should just tell him the truth.

"There's this kid who's having troubles in calculus," I said. "And he just called and asked for help."  
>Jase and Frank exchanged a look and Jase stepped forward.<p>

"Who's the kid? Where does he go to school?"

"Uh, his name? His name…his name is Percy," I said.

A glint of realization dawned in Jase's eyes and he frowned at me.

"Percy Jackson?" He asked.

"Johnson," I corrected.

Jase's face immediately flushed with relief, and I felt bad for lying.

"For a second I thought you were going to see that Spartan," he said.

"No." I laughed nervously. "Wouldn't mingle with them, you know. Bad, bad crowd."  
>Jase nodded approvingly, though I got a strange feeling that <em>he <em>was lying to me.

"I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>By the time I reached the Brooklyn Bridge, I had taken an unhealthy amount of Advil to stop the throbbing in my ankle.<p>

I glanced around and found Percy standing a few yards away. He donned a pair of khaki shorts and a red flannel. His backpack was slung around one shoulder and his hair and shirt were flapping wildly in the wind.

I approached him slowly and then poked him in the side. He whirled around quickly and I laughed slightly. His flannel was unbuttoned, revealing a Chik-Fil-A fan shirt.

"Are you ready to study calc?" I asked.

"Oh, totally. Calculus is the highlight of my day," he said.

"Watch the sarcasm," I said.

I turned away from him and began to walk at a fast pace towards the park. I heard him jogging after me, which slightly freaked me out.

"So you have some school spirit today?" He asked.

"Just in case this was some sort of trick," I said, "I wanted to be sure to be supporting my school."

"Why the hell would I trick you?"

"Why the hell wouldn't you is the question."

I led him down the pathway and into a small clearing where only a couple of people were hanging around.

"So what don't you get?" I asked.

"Basically everything," he said.

We sat down on the grass and he pulled out his calculus binder. I took it from him and began to sort through his papers. I pulled out one which had strange stains on it that resembled ketchup and BBQ sauce.

"What the hell do you do when you're working?" I asked, trying to hide the disgust in my voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, do you not eat and do work at Jupiter?" He asked.

"No, because I usually have my work all done before meals," I said.

Percy rolled his eyes and scooted closer to me. I felt my face get really warm, and I tried to distract myself by looking at some of his papers, some of which were tests that…that had A's on them.

"You know what I realized just now?" He said.

"Hm?"

"I don't even know your last name."

I looked up sharply, across the water, and tried to disguise the pain on my face.

"I don't make a habit of using my last name," I said, shaking my head.

Percy raised an eyebrow and leaned in a little closer. I had anticipated this move, so I leaned back, watching as Percy caught himself before he imprinted his face in the grass.

"Why not? Last names are awesome," he said.

"Some last names aren't, okay? Let's get back to calculus and just…focus,"

Percy shrugged and began to listen intently as I explained to him all the different formulas and equations that were needed to be done for each problem. I knew I was spitting utter bullshit, and that he wasn't even listening.

"You know what? I totally understand now, thanks Wise Girl!" He said. "You're truly wiser than I thought."

I glanced at my watch, which told me it was one twenty, before saying. "It's only been ten minutes, Jackson."

"You're just that good of a teacher," he said with a total poker face.

"Alright, well, if you really get it then, I say we stroll around the park," I said. "I told Headmistress Lupa that I'd be back by five, since I didn't count on you being a calculus wizard."

"I'm surprising, I know."

I rolled my eyes and stood up. I held out and hand to assist Percy up and he took it. Percy shouldered his backpack and we set off down the path.

"Who is Jason Grace dating?" He asked.

"He's dating a girl from a different school. He doesn't talk about her much, but he has a picture of them in his locker. She's pretty, I guess." I shrugged.

"You guess?"

"I mean, she isn't the girl I thought Jase would date. When we talked before, he always said he wanted someone strong and independent and into sports," I said. "This girl doesn't look like she's ever thrown a ball before and her life seems to revolve around clothes and shoes."

"Sounds like some girls at my school."

"There's some at every school."

We walked in silence for a little, and I wondered vaguely if Percy was the type of guy who liked silence or liked talking.

"Hey, Wise Girl, isn't that your specialty at Subway down there?"

"What?"

"Your seaweed."

He pointed at the lump of green on the beach below us and I laughed.

"I guess, though I hope that that's not where we get it from," I said.

We stopped at a vending cart and Percy bought us both a pretzel. We walked as we ate, talking about everything to anything. I was sort of shocked at how interesting Percy Jackson really was.

"So what do you do at Half-Blood High?" I asked as we strutted down the pathway.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you have a student council or what?"

"Oh, yeah. A Council of Elders," he said. "It's basically a council consisting of all upperclassmen voted in by the headmaster and student body."

"Are you in it?"

"Sort of, I'm a representative for the basketball team, but I don't really have much say in anything. Do you have a council?"

"We have a senate, which consists of four representatives from each grade, and then a council," I said.

"Are you in it?"

"I'm Vice President."

"Really? Not President? Let me guess, Golden Boy has that position."

"No, actually. A girl named Reyna Avila does. Jase is just a rep for the junior class," I said.

"Impressive, didn't know I was in the presence of someone so official," Percy joked.

I punched his arm with much less force than intender and looked at my watch.

"Oh, damn, it's four forty-five."

"Seriously? You're joking," he said.

I shook my head and showed him watch. Percy groaned and we began to walk towards Jupiter Academy. When we were three blocks away from it, I stopped and stepping in front of Percy, stopping him in his tracks.

"You shouldn't go any farther unless you want Jase and Frank to water balloon you," I lied, trying to devise up a strategy where Jase and Frank wouldn't see me with Percy Jackson and not Percy Johnson.

Percy glanced down at the street at the building before meeting my eyes.

"Probably not," he admitted.

"Also," I began, "I know that this was just a ploy to hang out."

"Oh yeah? How'd you figure that out?"

"You let me go through your notes, I saw you got an 'A' on nearly every single test," I said.

Percy leaned against the park railing and raised an eyebrow. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Surprisingly, yes, I did," I said. "But if any word gets out that we went on a date—"

"This is a date?" Percy asked, the joy clearly in his voice and eyes.

"Sure," I said.

I turned quickly and began to walk away. I thought about how much I sort of wanted to kiss him in that moment, when I stopped and turned back to look at him. He stood there with some sort of casual look to him, and I stormed back up to him. God, why did he have to be so adorable? We stared at each other for a good couple of minutes, him staring at me in an amused way, me staring at him in an angry way for making me feel this way. Then I kissed him.

Before he could even react, I pulled back and hissed "Don't tell anyone or else you're a dead man!" in his ear and storming off towards Jupiter Academy, the only clear thought in my mind was how much I had enjoyed kissing Percy Jackson.


	9. Chapter 9

"So how was that date yesterday?"

I peered over the rim of my glasses at Reyna, who stood a little way away with a large book open in her hands. Her dark eyes were focused on the words on the page and her hair was pulled back into a messy French braid. Her Jupiter Academy uniform was wrinkly and unkempt, which was a very un-Reyna thing to do.

"It wasn't a date," I said automatically.

"Oh please," Reyna said. "I saw you guys kiss. I was jogging by."  
>"I didn't see you."<br>"'Course you didn't," she said. "You were too busy smacking the face off of Percy."

In the three years of knowing Reyna Avila, there were only two times where I had heard her being resentful toward someone else. The first time was the end of freshman year when Jase asked Gwen on a date and Gwen had sprinted to the library with the news only to be put down by Reyna, who had been hoping that Jase was hinting around to asking her on the date. The last time was in the middle of sophomore year, when Octavian had come to the cafeteria, disheartened because of yet another rejection, when he asked Reyna on a date and she flipped shit on him. The two times the disapproving tone had been directed to someone else, never to me.

"It was just a peck," I said.

"That _you _initiated."  
>"What? I mean, yeah. But it's not—we're not—he's not—"<p>

"Save your breath," Reyna sighed. She closed her book and leaned against the bookshelf, her eyes seeping into my soul. "Look, Annabeth, I _love _you and all, but is Percy Jackson really worth throwing away everything you've worked so hard on?"

"I'm not throwing away everything."

Reyna gave me a sad look and I wondered vaguely if seeing Percy really would take a turn for the worst. Hell, Romeo and Juliet thought they'd live happily ever after and they got the short end of the stick.

"Just be careful," Reyna said. "You can't stop a bird from flying over, but you can stop it from building a nests."

I nodded numbly, and Reyna shoved the book into her backpack. She nodded curtly to me once before strolling out of the library. I sighed deeply and slumped forward on my arm, tapping my pencil against the desk.

"Vice President."

I glanced up and tried hard not to close my eyes and act annoyed when I saw Octavian standing in front of me. His cheekbones had hollowed out and his hair was stringier and longer than ever.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I wanted to know why you had left school for so long yesterday."

I began to pack up my books and glared at him.

"There's a kid I know," I said, "who's failing calculus. I went to help him. Nothing more."  
>Octavian raised his eyebrows and I stood up to pass him. He blocked my path by grabbing my arm firmly and leaning in close. I held my breath as I inhaled a large waft of cigarette smoke.<p>

"Do be careful who you associate yourself with," he whispered. "It may backfire."

I rolled my eyes before shrugging him off and storming past him. He yelled something inaudibly at my back as I exited the room, and I just flicked him off.

* * *

><p>"So do you know why you are here?"<p>

I looked up from the floor of Lupa's office to see her leaning against her desk. Her hair was pinned up in a tight bun and her lips were pursed.

"Because I flicked off Octavian?"

Lupa nodded curtly, and I groaned.

"Look, he yelled something at me," I said. "I wasn't going to take that laying down."  
>Lupa raised her eyebrows before picking up a notepad and jotting down something.<p>

"Very well, Ms. Chase," she said. "You may leave."

"Seriously?"

"I know how dramatic Mr. Caesar is," she said.

I picked up my bag and grinned.

"Thanks, Headmistress," I said.

Lupa nodded slightly and as soon as I exited her office, I broke off into a run to Jase's dorm.

* * *

><p>"You look out of breath," Jase said.<p>

He stood back and allowed me to enter his room. His room made mine look clean, which was saying something since I hadn't done my laundry for a couple of weeks and it was just laying around.

"What brings you here?" He asked.

"Octavian," I said.

"Ah, say no more," he said.

Jase tossed me a Rice Krispy and threw some of his dirty clothes off of his bed, clearing a small space for me to sit.

"So what'd the devil do this time?" He asked.

"Told Lupa I flicked him off."

"Told Lupa—you flicked—what?"

"I flicked him off in the library," I said.

Jase stared at me for a second before laughing.

"That's _hilarious_!" He said. "Deserves it, he does."  
>I nodded in agreement before unwrapping the holy food of God. I took a large bite of it and was looking around the room when Jase's phone began to vibrate.<p>

"Oh, I'd better take this," he said.

"Who is it?"

"My girlfriend."

I nodded slightly before throwing out my wrapper and stepping outside of Jase's dorm. He closed the door behind me after giving me an apologetic look, leaving me feeling slightly miffed.

There had never been a time when Jase didn't have time to talk to me. Usually it was me who had to stop everything for a half of a minute to talk with him, so this feeling of being put on hold…it was strange.

I walked around the corridors a couple of times before pulling out my phone and scrolling through my contacts. I hesitated slightly over Percy's contact. Reyna's words pierced through my head, _you can't stop a bird from flying over, but you can stop it from building a nests_. At the time, I had not understood what she was trying to tell me.

But looking at Percy's contact name, it dawned on me.

I can't stop thoughts or inevitable things from happening, but I can stop them from becoming worse.

"Annabeth?"

I looked up from my phone to see Reyna standing in the doorframe.

"What's up?" I asked, turning my attention back to my phone.

"I'm sorry if what I said earlier upset you."

"Nah, you're good."

Reyna shifted on her feet for a second before entering the room.

"I needed to hear it," I said. "I never really considered the consequences. This whole rivalry…it's just a bit too immature to me."

Reyna nodded and sat on my bed.

"I've always admired that about you too," she said. "You've never been one for the immaturity of the rivalry."

"Thanks," I said.

"So," Reyna pulled out her biology textbook, "care to tutor me?"

"You know biology is one of my worst subjects."  
>"Says the person who got a near perfect."<br>"Please." I rolled my eyes. "It was purely luck."  
>Reyna laughed and handed me her textbook.<p>

"Just help an old friend out?"

"Of course."


	10. Chapter 10

"And so plant cells have a cell wall but animal cells do not," Reyna said.

"Right," I said. "Think of how celery is so _crunchy_. That's you biting through its cell wall."

"Sort of fascinating, but sort of gross," Reyna said, crinkling her nose.

I shrugged before closing the text book and stretching back. The library was mostly empty, except for the other couple of upperclassmen who had a free day.

"Only we would spend free day studying," Reyna said.

"Of course," I said. "There's no better way to get ahead."

Reyna laughed and I gave her a wan smile. I shuffled through my physics notes a little and brushed back some loose strands of hair.

"I've got to go," Reyna said, glancing at her watch. "I have a job interview in an hour."

"Oh? Where at?"

"Starbucks on Broadway."  
>"Good luck," I said.<p>

Reyna gave me a pained expression before shouldering her backpack.

"Thanks," she said. "You'll visit me, right?"

"Right," I said.

She waved goodbye to me and I returned to my physics notes. I tapped the end of my pencil against the desk and leaned against my free palm. I shuffled through the papers in my backpack when my phone began to ring, startling me into crumpling an old math sheet.

I looked around the library nervously as I pulled my phone out of my bag and shoved my physics notes into my binder. The other kids in the library were beginning to look over at me, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye Octavian approaching me.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" I muttered.

I threw my backpack around my shoulder before zipping it shut and sprinted out of the library. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and blinked at the caller ID before hitting the 'answer' button.

"Jackson, what the hell?"

"Hey, Wise Girl! Always good to hear your voice!"

I rolled my eyes as I strolled down the hallway to my dorm.

"Oh, please. I told you not to call me before nineteen hundred."

I could feel my voice tighten as I said that, trying hard to not let him know how excited I was that he had called me.

"Alright, who the hell knows that time?"

"I do actually," I said, thinking of the time when my dad had taught me. "And it's military time. Subtract twelve from the number and you have the normal time."

"Oh, so I'm only three hours off."

I rolled my eyes at him before holding the phone between my ear and shoulder to unlock my door.

"You're so lucky I don't have a class right now."

"Really?" Percy's voice immediately lifted at the thought. "What are you doing?"

"I _was_ studying in the library." I put him on speaker phone and began to change out of my school uniform and into something a little more comfortable. "But my phone went off and I had to escape before Octavian caught me."

"Who?"

"Octavian. He's a senior rep in the senate. And he's got it in for me and Reyna."  
>"Really? I'm sorry Annabeth."<p>

_Annabeth. _A weird swooping sensation went through my stomach when he said my name.

"No it's fine. Rey and I are big girls. We can handle ourselves."  
>I imagined him sitting in the Spartan gym, relaxing on the bleachers with a basketball between his feet. I wondered vaguely if Grover and Leo were with him.<p>

"Do you have any classes the rest of the day?"

"No, do you?"

"I have a night calculus class, but I might consider skipping. I'm suddenly not feeling all that great."  
>I fell silent, a million of thoughts rushing through my head. Was he asking me on an <em>official <em>date? I had never been on one before, except for that study session. But I didn't really count that seeing as it hadn't been planned.

"Alright, I'll meet you at Central Park in twenty. Keep your phone on so you can call him."

"Sounds like a plan Wise Girl."

His side of the phone went silent, and I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was disastrous and I had donned a pair of sweatpants and baggy shirt. I frowned at myself before changing into a comfortable shirt under a flannel, jeans, and combat boots. I tossed my hair around for a couple minutes before I realized how dumb and cliché I was being. I sighed before shoving a grey beanie on my head and walking off to Lupa's office.

* * *

><p>I arrived at Central Park ten minutes before I was supposed to meet Percy, so I walked to the zoo. I used to come to it all the time when my dad had been alive, and I usually enjoyed it. I grabbed a brochure and began to rifle through it when my phone rang.<p>

"Percy?" I said.

"Hey, where are you?"

"The zoo," I said. "Are you near it?"

"Sort of, yeah. Just stay there, it'll be easier for me to find you than vice versa."  
>"Alright. See you soon."<p>

"Bye Wise Girl."  
>I slipped my phone back into my pocket before rifling through the brochure some more.<p>

"Hey, Wise Girl."

I looked up from my reading and immediately my breath hitched. He had gotten a haircut since the last time I saw him, and he donned a reddish-pink khaki shorts with a blue button down and Sperry's. He looked like a model student from Iliad Prep.

"What's up Jackson?"

"Want to go through the zoo?"

"Sure," I said. "Almost everyone is in class right now at Jupiter Academy, so we should be safe."  
>"Alright!"<p>

Percy flashed me a large smile before slinging an arm around my shoulders and directing me to the ticket booth.

"Two, please," he said.

He pulled his wallet out of his pocket as I pulled a wad of cash out of mine.

"Percy, let me pay for mine," I said.

"No," he said, slapping down two twenties. "It's only right."

"What?"

"For…for a guy to pay on the first date, right?" He said. "I mean, this is a date?"

I stared at him in disbelief before nodding.

"Yeah, I suppose it is," I said.

The lady in the booth smiled brightly at us as she handed Percy his money.

"Have fun you two," she said. "The zoo is a great place for first dates!"

* * *

><p><strong>To relive the zoo date, please refer to Chapter 6 of <em>Catch Me<em>**

* * *

><p>It had been so perfect.<p>

And then Jase showed up with…with his girlfriend _Piper _who was a _Spartan_. Then Percy and I…did we technically break up? We had only known each other for a week or so, did that qualify as a break up?

I didn't look back at him as I walked away. I wiped my eyes from the tears that were falling down my face. To some, my reaction was completely immature and unnecessary. But to me, it made so much sense.

People watched me as I walked past them, probably wondering what on earth had upset me so much. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts. I clicked on the one and tried to control my breathing as it rung.

"Annabeth?"

"Reyna? Where are you right now?"

"At the Starbucks on Broadway. Are you okay? You sound upset."  
>"I—I just had a date."<br>"With?"

"Percy."  
>"I'm getting you a Frappuccino, okay? I'll meet you back at your dorm room."<p>

"Thanks, Rey."

"It's what friends are for."

* * *

><p>Reyna, Hazel, and I sat in my dorm room fifteen minutes later, each with our own Nutella Frappuccino. Reyna had texted Hazel and she had come over seconds after I walked into my dorm room.<p>

"You're smart to end it," Hazel said. "I don't mean to come off as blatant or anything, but at the moment, a Spartan/Roman love story isn't exactly what we need."  
>"I know, I know," I moaned.<p>

Reyna flashed me a look of sympathy before cracking a couple of jokes. I smiled at some of them and then there was a knock on the door.

"I got it," Hazel said.

She jumped up from her seat and swung open the door.

"Hey Hazel. Is Annabeth here?"

"Uh, yeah. Come in."  
>Hazel walked back into the dorm followed by Luke Castellan. He donned a Hyperion High sleeveless shirt and black shorts. He looked as if he had just finished a workout.<p>

"Hey, Annabeth."  
>He leaned against my chair and raised an eyebrow at me.<p>

"What's up?"

"I was just thinking, the other day you told me you wouldn't go out with me because you didn't know me. But the only way you'll get to know me is by hanging out with me, so, do you want to go on a date this weekend?"

I raised my eyebrows at him before shaking my head.

"Not this weekend," I said.

Luke's face fell immediately before he crinkled his eyebrows.

"What about the weekend after that?"

"I don't know."  
>"After that?"<p>

"Persistent, aren't you?" Reyna said, clearly unamused.

"I like to think I'm dedicated," Luke said.

"I'll let you know sometime," I said. "Thanks for the offer."  
>"I'll be looking forward to it," Luke said.<p>

He left the room and we sat in silence for a little before Reyna said.

"He's definitely something."


	11. Chapter 11

**The following chapter contains minor spoilers from _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One_. Also, to clear up any confusion, this story is a parallel to another that I had written titled _Catch Me_. There are some scenes to which you will need to read the other to understand. In those circumstances, I will line break and inform you which chapter you would have to go to to read the events of which would take place.**

* * *

><p>"Annabeth, I asked you a question."<p>

I blinked before looking over at Reyna. She was staring at me expectantly, and immediately my mind kicked into action.

"No, I don't think so," I said, assuming it was the safest answer.

Reyna sighed and closed her textbook. "Do you even know what I asked?"

"I—it was about logarithms, right?"

"No." Reyna shot me a concerned look. "I asked if you were going to visit your mother over Thanksgiving."

"Yeah, I am," I said. "Leo's going home too."

Reyna nodded thoughtfully and opened her mouth to say something when Luke Castellan sat next to me. I tried to ignore him but he poked my side, making me cringe.

"Hey," he said. "It's been like two months. Will you go on a date with me this weekend?"

I raised my eyebrows and glanced over at Reyna. She smirked at me before glaring daggers at Luke.

"What did you have in mind?"

"_Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One _comes out tomorrow," he said. "And I might have just secured two Friday night tickets."

"Oh, really?" I asked. "And you just assumed I'm a Potterhead?"

"Everyone is."

I sighed. I _had_ been looking forward to the new movie, but I had planned on seeing it with Reyna and Hazel.

"Actually, I already—"

"She'd love to," Reyna spoke up.

I glared at her and she mouthed _later_ to me.

"Yeah, I would," I said.

Luke smiled at me and scribbled something down on my Spanish notes.

"This is my number for future references," he said. "And I'll pick you up at five. We'll catch dinner afterwards."

I nodded a silent thanks and he stood and walked away. I waited for him to disappear into the hallway before leaning across the table and slapping Reyna's arm.

"Ow?" She said, rubbing the area.

"Why did you make me agree to that?" I hissed.

"You need it," she said. "You need to distract yourself."

I slumped in my seat and stared at the bookshelf above Reyna's head.

"I don't _need_ anything," I said. "I can get through this on my own."

"You dated him for a week and it's taking you two months to get over it," Reyna said.

"When you put it like that you make it seem sad."  
>"It is sad."<p>

I stuck my tongue out at her before closing my notes.

"Well, if you don't mind, I have to go and try to drown myself in the shower," I said.

Reyna laughed and waved at me as I left the library.

* * *

><p>I stood in my room that Friday with Hazel and Reyna.<p>

They had taken it upon themselves to help me 'doll up' for my date. Reyna had picked out a pair of red skinny jeans, a white tank, and a black leather jacket. Hazel had done my hair into one of those half-up half-down and lent me some of her jewelry. To them, I looked perfect and 'hot'. To me, I looked cliché but ready to kick someone's ass.

"He's going to be here soon!" Hazel squealed.

I rolled my eyes before adjusting my jacket.

"I'm only doing this for Reyna," I proclaimed.

"I appreciate it."  
>"Speaking of, are you and Dakota meeting up again?" I asked.<p>

Reyna's cheeks immediately blushed, and Hazel cooed softly.

"No," she said. "Not after the last date."

"May I ask why not?"

"We both agreed that we should focus on our studies."  
>"We could have triple dated!" Hazel said.<p>

"Luke and I are _not_ a thing," I said firmly.

Reyna and Hazel exchanged a glance before shrugging simultaneously.

"Whatever you say," they said.

"We're not," I said. "He might think we are."  
>There was a knock on my door and Reyna opened it.<p>

"Hello, Luke," she said.

"Hey," he said.

He stepped into the room holding a bouquet of red and white roses.

"Hope this isn't too forward," he said. "But the word on the street was you're a sucker for roses."

He held out the bouquet and I hesitantly took them from him. I didn't mean to come off as a bitch or anything, but I didn't want him to get the wrong impression. Yes, we were going on one date. But no, that did not mean we were _date_-ing.

"Thanks," I said.

I quickly filled up a water bottle and placed the roses in it. Luke held out his hand and I stared at it.

"Aren't you going to take my hand?"

"Oh, I mean, should I?"

"It would be the proper thing to do."

I faltered for a second before taking his hand. His palms were sweaty and surprisingly soft.

"Ready?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>"I cannot believe that was where they ended the movie," Luke said as we strolled down to Joe Allen's.<p>

"You've mentioned," I said.

Luke held open the door for me and I walked inside.

"Did you like it?"

"Yeah, I mean, I do wish they had ended it differently," I said. "Ending with the whole death of Dobby and Voldemort—"

"Shhh!" Luke said, his eyes wide with fake fear. "He might come and get you now!"

I smiled at Luke politely before turning to the hostess.

"Castellan for two."

"It'll be fifteen minutes," the hostess said.

I nodded and she marked us here. I turned back to Luke who was scanning the restaurant for what I assumed were celebrities.

"Who are you looking for?"

Luke hesitated before saying. "No one."

I frowned at him and he immediately changed attitudes.

"How about Harry and Hermione," Luke said, "dancing in the woods."

"I sort of liked it to be honest," I admitted. "I like the whole Ron/Hermione idea as much as the next, but Daniel Radcliffe has more natural chemistry with Emma Watson than Bonnie Wright."

It was Luke's turn to frown.

"Who?"

"The actors."

Luke nodded thoughtfully and opened his mouth to respond when the hostess called us up.

"Time to go," he said.

We followed her to a table in the corner.

"Your waitress is Thalia, and she'll be with you momentarily," she said.

Luke's face immediately paled and he took a long time to sit.

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking over the menu.

"Nothing," he said.

He sat down and took a long sip from his water.

"Hello, my name is Thalia and I'll be—Luke?"

I glanced over at the waitress and then at Luke. He was hiding behind the menu and Thalia's sharp blue eyes were staring at him in disbelief.

"Hey, Thals," he said shakily.

"What happened to you?" She asked. "Mr. Achille said you were kicked out."

"I, uh, I was," Luke said.

"What did you do?"

Luke glanced over at me and then back at Thalia.

"Nothing major," he said.

Thalia crossed her arms, exposing a bit of cleavage.

"Honestly I don't know why I still date you," she said. "You never tell me _anything_. At least, not since you left."

"Wait, date?" I asked.

Thalia looked as if she had just noticed me, and Luke shrunk in his seat.

"Who are you?" Thalia asked.

"Annabeth, I'm—"

"She's my cousin," Luke said hastily.

Thalia nodded slowly and I stood up, clutching the water glass in my hand.

"You—dirty—_ass_—Luke—Castellan," I seethed. "You were already dating someone else!"

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked, knitting her eyebrows together.

"I'm not Luke's cousin," I said. "I'm on a _date_ with him."  
>Thalia's eyes widened and she gripped the water pitcher so tightly that her knuckles turned white.<p>

"You cheating scoundrel!" I yelled, throwing the water in his face.

The whole restaurant went dead silent, everyone's eyes on us.

"I can't believe you!" Thalia screamed.

She dumped the pitcher on Luke's head, soaking him. The manager rushed over with a towel, dabbing Luke's shirt.

"Thalia! You do not spill water on guests!" She said angrily.

"Don't bother calling me again!" I said.

I marched out of the restaurant, ignoring Luke's apologies. I glanced back once before I exited the building to see Thalia dumping leftover food from a nearby tray on to Luke while the manager apologize profusely.

"Have a nice night," the hostess said.

"Can't say it's been one," I snapped before slamming the door shut.


	12. Chapter 12

"How's Percy?"

I stood outside of our apartment the eve of Thanksgiving while Leo struggled to jam the key into the lock.

"He's okay," Leo said. "Sort of wanders around like a zombie."  
>"Really?"<p>

"Yeah, he'll get over it though."

Leo shoved open the door and we walked into the house.

"Where does he live?"

Leo glanced over at me as he took off his shoes.

"On Riverside Boulevard," Leo said. "He's got a really nice apartment with his mom and her boyfriend."  
>"His parents aren't together?"<p>

"Nah, his father was in the Navy and was killed."  
>"That's unfortunate."<p>

"Yeah, it happened when Percy was in fourth grade."  
>I nodded slowly and kicked off my own shoes.<p>

"Hello?" Leo yelled out. "Dad? Ethana?"

We walked into the kitchen and found a post-it note taped on the fridge.

'"Went out to dinner w/the Beauregard's, be back at ten,'" Leo read.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Takeout from Sal's and _Doctor Who_?"

"You read my mind."

* * *

><p>A half hour later, I sat on the couch with Leo while eating Sal's meat lover's pizza and watching old <em>Doctor Who <em>reruns.

"I can't wait for season six," Leo said. "The eleventh doctor is my favorite."  
>"Of course," I said. "You just love Matt Smith."<br>"Sue me," Leo said.

I clicked on another episode when Leo's phone buzzed.

"Who is it?" I asked absentmindedly.

"It's uh, it's Percy," Leo said. "He wants to know if he can come over."  
>"Hold on," I said.<p>

I pulled out my cell phone and called Reyna.

"Annabeth?"

"Hey, want to go around Times Square in ten to look for Christmas presents?" I asked.

"Sure. Meet you at the Swatch store?"

"Sounds amazing."  
>I hung up the phone and grabbed my jacket.<p>

"Have him over," I said. "Text me when he's gone."  
>Leo nodded once and I waved goodbye.<p>

* * *

><p>"So Percy is over at your house right now?" Reyna asked.<p>

"The King of Half-Blood High's ass is on my couch right now," I confirmed.

Reyna laughed and led me through Forever 21, which was surprisingly not that crowded.

"Smart of you to get out of there," Reyna said.

"Thanks."  
>"How's your mom doing?" Reyna asked.<p>

"Dunno. She was out at dinner with Heratio and the Beauregard's."

Reyna nodded thoughtfully and picked out a dark red shirt.

"Yes or no?" She asked.

"For you?"

"For Hylla."  
>"No."<p>

I picked up a black tank top with lace on the top and down the middle of the back.

"This is Hylla," I said.

Reyna checked the price tag before nodding.

"Very much so," she said.

We proceeded to the checkout and I glanced around the room.

"Hey, those guys over there are looking at us," I said.

Reyna glanced over and frowned.

"What school are they from? I can't read their sweatshirts."  
>"Prometheus Academy," I read.<p>

"Ugh," Reyna groaned. "I wish our rivalry was with the Comets and not the Spartans. At least the Spartans have a decent name."  
>I laughed but nodded in agreement.<p>

"Comets are dumb," I said.

"They can cause such havoc."  
>Reyna took the bag from the cashier and we began to leave the store when four figures appeared around us.<p>

"Hello," one of the guys said. He had curly brown hair and green eyes that were the color of celery. On his chin he had a little bit of acne. "My name is Calvin Boread, and that's my brother Zeke."

He gestured to another boy who had a buzz cut and hadn't shaved in a while.

"That's our good friend Chris Rodriguez and Ethan Nakamura."

Chris was a Hispanic guy who used too much hair gel and Ethan was a nerdy little Asian boy. He wore thick black glasses that made his eyes look bigger than they really were and he dressed very classy.

"We were wondering if you wanted to get Starbucks with us," Ethan said.

"No, thanks," I said. "We were just heading home."  
>"We could walk you there," Chris suggested. "It's sort of sketchy, New York at this time."<br>"Of course," Reyna deadpanned. "New York in the holiday season at six o'clock in the evening is the most ghetto thing someone could ever do."  
>Zeke nodded and Reyna rolled her eyes.<p>

"Thanks for the offer, but we really should be heading off," Reyna said. "I have a funeral to attend."  
>In one blink, Reyna's expression went from being bored to sad and distraught.<p>

"Who's?" Calvin asked.

"My grandfather, _mi abuelo_," she said.

She began to cry, and I stood there, stunned. I had no idea that Reyna's grandfather had died.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Calvin said. "Didn't mean to—I'm sorry for your loss."  
>The boys all awkwardly patted Reyna's back before leaving the store.<p>

"Reyna, I am so—"

"Thank _god_," Reyna said. "I didn't know how long I'd be able to do that before I began to laugh."  
>I raised my eyebrows and Reyna shrugged.<p>

"I wasn't going to be stalked by four random guys."

* * *

><p>"You're home late."<p>

I closed the door behind me and rolled my shoulders.

"Yeah, sorry," I said. "Rey and I were just out around Central Park."

"Did you have mace with you?"

My mother's grey steely eyes poured into mine, and I nodded vigorously.

"Of course," I said.

My mother nodded once before sinking back into the couch. I began to walk up the steps when my mother said.

"By the way, Leo's friend is sleeping over. Percy Jackson, I think."  
>I froze and glanced back down at her.<p>

"Are you serious?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes!" I hissed. "It's a very big problem! Doesn't he have family that he needs to be with tomorrow?"

"He's leaving at nine," she said.

I groaned and hung my head.

"Alright," I said. "That's fine. Just—just don't acknowledge that I'm home."

"Why? Did something happen between you and him?"

I heard a knowing pitch in her voice, and I felt guilty for never telling her about Percy or Luke.

"No," I said. "Just the school rivalry."

I walked up the remainder of the steps, pausing outside of Leo's door when I saw his light was still on. I pressed my ear to the door and tried to listen to the conversation, but it was muted.

I imagined Percy sitting at Leo's desk stalking through the pictures we had taken on the vacation where Heratio and my mother announced their engagement. That had been one awkward vacation. Heratio had rented a suite which was like a little apartment. The idea had been for Leo and I to bond, but he had gone off and chased girls while I sat by the pool reading books and trying to get ahead in school.

I walked over to my room and shut the door, locking it. I slid my back against the wood and sat down on the floor. I heard Percy laughing at something that Leo had said, and I felt my heart shatter slightly.

There was no worse feeling than knowing the one person I loved but couldn't be with was just a knock away.


End file.
